Essen’s Famous Man Vs. Pork Challenge Returns In 2013

Essen Restaurant & Beer Café is separating the pigs from the piglets with an all-new competition of epic proportions.

Following the immense success of Schnitzilla in 2012, Essen Restaurant & Beer Café is once again holding a mammoth pork-eating contest.

The Jurassic Pork challenge kicks off in only two weeks and is sure to test even the most daring eaters: this year it’s a 1.6kg loaf of bread, overflowing with juicy marinated slow-cooked pork, coleslaw and Essen’s home-made BBQ sauce, finished off with a side of chips.

Although weighing in lighter than last year’s whopping 3.5kg schnitzel stack, Jurassic Pork’s difficulty lies in the sizeable amount of bread and chips included.

“It’s the carb-iness that will get you,” says Essen’s Geert Elzinga. “The bread and chips are really filling.”

Contestants must finish the entire plate within 35 minutes, without leaving the table, to successfully complete the challenge. Winners will not only receive a commemorative Jurassic Pork T-shirt, but will also have the entry price of $49.50 fully refunded and have their photo placed on the Essen Wall of Fame. Those who don’t finish will end up on the Wall of Shame.

The challenge kicks off on Thursday, March 21. Customers can partake in Jurassic Pork during Essen’s normal trading hours – dinner from 5pm every night of the week and lunch on Thursdays and Fridays from 12pm.

Those who just want a taster of the pork challenge can order the JP Express, a miniature version of Jurassic Pork that comes in at a quarter of the size, for $20 including a beer. This will become a permanent fixture on Essen’s lunch menu.

And for contestants who can still stomach them, the sauces used in Jurassic Pork will also be available for purchase for $10 a bottle.

Essen Restaurant & Beer Café is located at 133-135 Broadway, Ultimo NSW 2007. They can be contacted on 02 9211 3805.